This invention relates to light emitting diode (“LED”) lamps, more particularly, a light emitting diode (“LED”) lamp that is compact in size and emits very little heat through the use of an actively cooled heat sink and a non-conductive substrate that acts as an insulating layer between the heat sink and LEDs mounted in the lamp.
LED lamps are commonly used in operating rooms and examination rooms by doctors, surgeons, dentists and other medical personnel to illuminate work areas. Traditional surgical lamps consist of a housing having a reflector and one or more halogen or xenon light bulbs mounted therein. However, these types of light bulbs use an excessive amount of electricity, generate a great deal of heat and do not provide a high quality light. More recent surgical lamps use LEDs in an attempt to overcome these problems. However, LEDs still generate an excessive amount of heat that can shorten the life of the LEDs, cause fatigue to medical workers and dry out exposed tissue. Such LEDs typically generate so much heat that a heat sink is required to cool the lamps. A problem with current heat sinks is that such are only passively cooled, which does not provide enough heat dissipation. Another problem with current surgical lamps having LEDs is that the LEDs are typically mounted to an aluminum substrate board which causes an excess of heat to build on the aluminum substrate board around the LEDs, thereby resulting in damage to and a shorter life span of the LEDs.
Therefore, a need exists for an actively cooled heat sink for a LED lamp that efficiently dissipates the heat created by the LEDs and a non-conductive substrate that acts as an insulating layer between the heat sink and LEDs mounted in the lamp, thereby prolonging the life of the LEDs and decreasing the amount of heat generated by the LED lamp.
The relevant prior art includes the following references:
Pat. No.(U.S. unless stated otherwise)InventorIssue/Publication Date7,490,949MedinisFeb. 17, 20092008/021,332MedinisSep. 04, 20087,108,400Yamada et al.Sep. 19, 20066,955,444GuptaOct. 18, 20052005/0243539EvansNov. 03, 2005